Invisible Wounds

Doctors are calling it the war's "signature" injury, and it's quickly becoming the most common trauma from the war in Iraq. More than 20 percent of local veterans returning from combat suffer from traumatic brain injury, or TBI. TBI is caused by repeated exposure to the kind of formerly deadly explosions that troops now regularly survive, thanks to advances in body armor technology--but they're not escaping unscathed. Many soldiers are suffering unusually high numbers of concussions and other brain injury due to the shock waves of roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices. The near-constant rattling of soldiers' brains causes irreversible damage, resulting in physical and emotional disorders including memory loss, extreme sensitivity to light, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), loss of balance, insomnia, nightmares, anger, depression and other mood disorders. Incredibly, many cases of TBI are going undiagnosed by military doctors, and frequently soldiers don't even realize they are hurt. In this episode of CNX, we'll share the stories of two local vets suffering from TBI and their struggles to return to civilian life handicapped by this cruel condition. And we'll take you inside the VA's Polytrauma Clinic in Seattle, a cutting-edge facility where local doctors are pioneering new treatments for the men and women suffering from Iraq's invisible wounds.

Green Watch: Global Warming

Alerts about global warming are everywhere. The impending doom of our planet is no longer simply a looming possibility--it is a reality. The question is, can we slow down climate change before the effects are too grand to reverse? This week's Green Watch offers 10 simple things you can do in your daily life to make a big difference.

SEATTLE - Here are 10 ways you can slow down climate change. If you incorporate these small changes into your daily routine, over the next year you'll save the planet 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and put $3,000 back in your bank account.

Number 1: Replace three frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescents. Save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide and $60 per year. They are more expensive but they last ten times longer.

Number 2: Keep your car tires adequately inflated. Save 250 pounds of carbon dioxide and $840 per year. Install a clean air filter and save an additional 800 pounds of carbon dioxide and $130 per year.

Number 3: Adjust your thermostat down two degrees winter and up two degrees in the summer. Save 2000 pounds of carbon dioxide and $98 per year.

Number 4: Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Save 550 pounds of carbon dioxide and $30 per year. Insulate your water heater and save an additional 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.

Number 5: Every day 60 million plastic bottles are thrown away everyday in the U.S. So pick up a reusable bottle and prevent a lot of waste.

Number 6: Take shorter showers. Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. Save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide and $99 per year. Install a low flow showerhead and save an additional 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150.

Number 7: Buy your fruits and vegetables locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to large grocery stores. Almost every Seattle neighborhood has a local farmer's market. Ballard's even runs through the winter on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Number 8: Buy minimally packaged goods. Less packaging could reduce your garbage by about 10%. Save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year.

Number 9: Plant a tree. Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breathe. April 22 is Earth Day and provides the perfect opportunity to join the masses in putting your hands in the dirt and to make a difference. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

Number 10: Unplug your unused electronics. Flipping the power switch off doesn't do the trick. Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and $256 per year.

Roundtable

Democratic Strategist Cathy Allen and Republican Strategist Randy Pepple join Enrique Cerna to discuss the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold Washington's top-two primary system. The decision will eliminate our current "pick-a-party" primary that has been in place while the top-two system was being challenged in court. Find out what this means for upcoming gubernatorial elections.